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Lifeway research has found that seven out of ten unchurched people have never been invited to church, and “eighty-two percent of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if invited”(Dr. Thom Rainer, The Unchurched Next Door). Interestingly enough, however, is this year’s holiday ad run by the American Atheists that references the popular Christmas song Santa Claus is Coming to Town, encouraging people to “just be good for goodness’ sake” and to skip church. While culture is still widely open to at least exploring church, there is now a voice encouraging them that there is no essential need.

This is the root of American worldview, is it not? Be good. Just do your best. Work hard and you will get a reward. While this is not reality in much of the professional world, we have convinced the millennials that they deserve a high paying job that will change the world and satisfy them just because they exist. We are teaching our children that everyone is a winner, just for trying. Do your best, and define your own truth, it is all about you and your happiness. You deserve it.

The philosophical problem with this worldview is clear, however: How do we define good? Who has the final say, if we all get to have autonomy? Is it the law? Is it some social standard that has been established culturally? Is it some ever-progressing line of tolerance and acceptance?

We often seek to define “good” as not hurting anyone else. This definition is weak, as it is the negative definition. Instead of saying “benefiting others”, it simply is the void of doing harm to another. But are we willing to say that anything is good, as long as it hurts no one? Are we also willing to say that anything that hurts another is not good? Is stopping a terrorist or locking up a murderer not good? Is lying on our income taxes good, since it hurts no one?

And thus we are quickly left at a philosophical impasse. As long as we are independent creatures with no higher authority, there cannot be an absolute truth and therefore no unifying good and evil. There is no way to define good, en masse.

In order to adhere to true atheism, one must deny the existence of God – or any higher power. We exist, and then we die. When we die we cease to exist. There is no moral law, other than what we define for ourselves and there is no ultimate meaning to life. One cannot truly live by this worldview, however. The moment he is threatened, the moment he is robbed, the moment his wife or child suffers, the moral law of God that is written on his heart begins to react, even if the thief is stealing simply to provide for his own family.

Thus we need a higher power to define good and evil for us. Thankfully, God has. We have the Ten Commandments. We have the Old Covenant Law. And we also have the Law of Christ giving throughout the Gospels and the New Testament. We clearly see throughout Scripture that there is no possible way any human being can perfectly keep the law (Rom 3.23). We have all lied. We have all coveted our friends or neighbor’s belongings. We have all lusted at some point in our lives. We have all not honored God as first in our lives, kept the Sabbath or honored our parents.

Scripture teaches us that God’s standard is perfection, not “good”. He kicked Adam and Eve out of His presence for eating a piece of fruit which He had told them to not eat. Did you ever eat that cookie after your mom told you no? Then you are as guilty as Adam and Eve – guilty of death and eternity in Hell. But that is the very purpose of the Law: to show us our guilt and need for a savior (Rom 5.20). Since we are incapable of reaching God’s standard of goodness, we need a savior to rescue us from our sin and peril.

Enter: Jesus. He was God, and He was man. He came to the Earth in human form and lived a perfect life, one not deserving death (because the punishment for sin is death – Rom 6.23). But He suffered death and separation from God in our place, so that we can be forgiven. God cannot simply overlook sin. If we apologize to God for our sin, that does not appease His wrath for it. Therefore, He poured His wrath out upon Jesus so that He can forgive our sin. Jesus became our sin, paid the penalty for it so that we can become His righteousness (2 Cor 5.21). He switched places with us, and it requires of us only faith (Eph 2.8-9).

When we recognize our guilt, when we confess our sins, and when we ask for forgiveness, we are born again and the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us to enable us to begin the process of dying to sin and living to righteousness. He alone enables us to be good – according to His definition of good.

We can never be good enough on our own. That is the truth we all know, deep down in our gut. This is also the beauty of Christianity, that we do not have to strive to be good enough to earn God’s favor or merit. We simply have to believe, and trust Him, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out.

So this holiday season, let us rejoice in the fact that Jesus has paid our debt and we can be welcomed into the presence of God by His merit and not our own. Let us encourage people to not be good for goodness’ sake, but to know and love God. And while there is a voice encouraging people to skip church, let’s remember that most will come if we only invite them – and Christmas is perhaps the most opportune time to invite them, since it is a holiday celebrating Jesus’ birth! Let’s bring them in. Let’s tell them the beautiful truth that we do not have to be good enough. Let’s tell them the story.

Have you heard the story of Jesus’ birth? Do you have a nativity scene set up somewhere in your living room as part of you Christmas decorations? Do you remember the part about the star?

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, Land of Judah,
are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
for our of you shall come forth a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”’
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.’ After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”

– Matt 2.1-10

The gospels Matthew and Luke give detailed accounts of the birth of Jesus. Luke teaches us that shepherds came and saw Jesus the night of His birth, and Matthew teaches us about the wise men coming in from the East. The book of Matthew was written for a Jewish audience. He deals with prophecies, with the Law and with Jesus as the Messiah, but he very intentionally teaches that Jesus came to be the savior of the world, and he therefore begins his story with Jesus being worshiped by non-Jewish men of wealth who were led to Him by a star and ends the story with the Great Commission.

There is much glory in the coming of the magi. It is a fulfillment of prophecy:

“Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.”

– Is 60.3

And their gifts spoke to His identity and purpose as Messiah on the Earth. Gold was a costly gift befitting a king, frankincense was an incense symbolizing His deity, and myrrh was an embalming oil used in burial which foreshadowed His death. The wise men were wise enough to know that the King of the Jews whom they sought was also the Messiah. Notice that they asked Herod where the “King of the Jews” had been born, and after having a conversation with them Herod called for the priests and scribes and asked where the Messiah was to be born.

But nestled in this glorious story is that pesky detail of the star. Much has been said about the star. The magi have been called astrologers because they saw and followed it. Books have been written about the nature of the star. Ideas have been formed and many have been distracted by this relatively insignificant detail. We are told that a star appeared and the wise men followed it. Based on the time of the appearance of the star, Herod had every child under the age of two years murdered, so it is possible that they saw and followed the star for up to two years. The star apparently led them to Jerusalem, or they understood its appearance to signify the coming of the Messiah, and it reappeared to direct them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and they rejoiced at its appearing.

Bethlehem is five miles from Jerusalem. They had been instructed by the priests to go there, and then the star reappeared. How can this be? How can a star in outer space direct someone five miles? And “stand over the place where the child was”?

While is it an extremely interesting facet to the story, it is secondary – a peripheral point. Yes, it led the wise men to Jesus. Yes, it designated the guidelines Herod used to murder the children which fulfilled prophecy and typologies with Moses. But the glory and importance of the Christmas story is God taking on the form of a human being and entering into history as our savior.

It is very easy to get caught up in secondary issues. You have probably met those people in your church who are continually digging into and distracted by those peripheral and unimportant matters: was it really an apple that Eve ate? How did God get the manna and quail to the Israelites? If the sun stopped in the sky, does that mean the world stopped rotating? If so, how did everyone not fly off the face of the Earth because of the lack of gravity? How big of a wind would be required to part the Red Sea? Did Jesus really go preach to spirits in Hell? Christmas and Easter are pagan holidays that Christians just added our meaning to…

Instead of focusing on Jesus, being broken over sin, clinging to Him for salvation and meditating on the glory of God, we can find ourselves wasting energy fighting over if it is evil to set up a Christmas tree or have an Easter egg hunt. But Jesus came with a purpose: To seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19.10). He came to rescue us from our sin, to give us the Holy Spirit who indwells believers and enables them to live godly lives, dying to sin. To show us the way to eternity with Him.

As we continue through this advent season for the next week, do take the time to reflect on the beautiful details of the story of Christ’s birth which Scripture offers us. Think about the star, and the sovereign God who caught the attention of wealthy scholars who would travel for up to two years to see the child. Reflect on the fact that He is in control of everything, including the universe outside of the World, and utilizes supernatural occurrences to bring about His plan. But when you enter into Bible study, when you teach your children the story, when you go to church and when you consider the faith, intentionally focus your heart and mind on those things that make an eternal impact. Keep the secondary issues secondary, and glorify Jesus. Look beyond the star, and see to what it is pointing.

We are two weeks away from arguably the most celebrated holiday in our nation: Christmas. Many will dress the family in their finest and usher them off to church for their once-a-year visit to hear the story of the baby Jesus. Most have already set up Christmas trees, bought an abundance of presents, and decorated their houses and lawns for the holiday, and nestled in there was can sometimes find the nativity scene. We get extra days off work, we visit family, we eat, and the devout among us say “happy birthday Jesus” or read the Christmas account out of the Bible.

We like Jesus as a baby.

Babies are helpless. Babies are cute and cuddly. Babies need us to take care of them, to nurture them and to love them. Babies are lovable. The the Christmas hymn “Silent Night” has perpetuated the myth that Jesus never cried (although we know He cried as an adult – John 6.35, and He wasn’t born speaking, so how else would He have let Mary know He was hungry?). He was the perfect little baby.

The story of Mary and Joseph coming into Bethlehem on a donkey at nine months pregnant, the hotels all being full, and them finding shelter in a barn is so tragic – but yet normal to our ears. We pity Jesus for having been born and laid in a feeding trough. The story is quaint and humble, and it makes us feel good, while reminding us to help take care of the less fortunate.

The problem is that Jesus grew up. He grew up and began to teach lessons that are just a bit too extreme for our ears. Yes, we like the command to love, but we want to pick and choose who we get to love. We do not want to hear the command to love our enemies and to bless those who persecute us (Matt 5.44). Yes, we want to hear how to be righteous and right with God, but we do not want to hear that we have to sell everything that we have, give it to the poor, and follow Him (Matt 19.21). We like the promises that He will provide all of our needs and give us peace, but we do not want to follow Him to martyrdom (Matt 24.9).

Jesus the man commands us to live in ways that we are incapable of doing on on our own. In order to follow Jesus, we need the empowering of the Holy Spirit and we have to die to ourselves. It is uncomfortable and difficult.

Jesus the baby is cute and cuddly, and we can unintentionally condescend Him. The baby Jesus demands nothing from us, just receives our affection and pity, and teaches us to care for the less fortunate around us. The angels announced with His birth “peace among men with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2.14). And while Jesus did come to bring peace, but He also came to bring a sword. Families will be divided because of Him and some will kill those who follow Him (Matt 10.34). The peace is spiritual and between God and those whom He has forgiven, not for the entire world. That will only be realized on the New Earth, where sin and suffering cease. Until then we must allow the Holy Spirit to live through us to suffer persecution well and follow Christ’s example (Gal 2.20).

So these next two weeks as we approach Christmas day, as we see the nativities along the streets and in our homes, as we go to church to celebrate and as we meditate and pray about the reality of God coming to Earth in the form of a man, let us not leave Jesus in the manger. We should, indeed, marvel at the humility it would take for the almighty God to strip Himself of many of His divine attributes, and take on the form of a man, in his most helpless state. Jesus submitted himself to human form, to a mother and a father, was raised as a child, all while still maintaining His deity. We should praise Him for that, and seek to humble ourselves to one another and to Him in response.

But let us also reflect on the reason that He came: to seek and to save that which was lost, to bring life to dead, to die for our sins, and to teach us how to live in light of eternity. Jesus is no longer a poor, cute baby in a feeding trough in a barn. He is the king of ages, seated on the throne in Heaven, ready to judge the living and the dead and to welcome believers into His presence for eternity.

The Holiday Season brings about a variety of unique situations. We unite with family and friends to spend a day being intentionally thankful for everything that we have, for everything that has happened the past year, and to enjoy a meal together. The very next day we exert our energies (and finances) to shop at absurd hours in order to get the best deal on stuff. We may be thankful, but we are selfish.

Then we take a break for a few weeks, preparing for our second round of family celebrations. We decorate our houses, we drive ourselves crazy and broke looking for the perfect gift for aunt so-and-so. We get in arguments with people who would greet us saying “Happy Holidays” because they have removed Jesus from Christmas, but yet we never slow down to consider Him in our festivities.

We are almost always disappointed with how the holiday season unfolds. We each have different love languages, and those who need gifts to feel loved are rarely satisfied because the gift giver was not thoughtful enough with the purchase he made, those who need quality time feel overwhelmed by the masses and chaos, those who need words of affirmation get lost in the hubub and it is all but impossible for everyone’s expectations to be met.

Why?
Because of the root of almost all of our sin:Pride.

Our ego and selfish desires are what naturally drive us until we begin the discipline of the Christian walk. Until we recognize our sinfulness and our deserved damnation, our worldview revolves squarely around what we think, what we want, and what makes us happy. We may learn the art of compromise or mutual respect: giving to others what they want in order to get what we want, but it is always to the end of our personal gratification.

When we meet Jesus, however, we are transformed from the core. In order to enter into a relationship with Jesus, in order to assure our eternity with Him, in order to “be saved”, we must recognize our sinfulness and His provision of forgiveness by paying our debt of death and damnation. You cannot be saved if you do not recognize your sin, understand the wrath of God against that sin, and ask for forgiveness while repenting from it.

The very nature of salvation is humbling. There is nothing that you or I can do to earn merit with God. We simply cannot be good enough. We are not worthy. But He loves us anyway, and offers us salvation in spite of our wickedness.

The death of our pride will be slow and often painful. Jesus commands us to love our enemies – the same way He loved us while we were His enemies (Matt 5.44, Rom 5.10). It is not easy to love our enemies, to pray for them, to bless them, or to give ourselves to them. It is even more difficult to truly desire in our hearts for them to be saved. We may be able to discipline our actions, but it takes much transformation by the power of God to care for our enemies on a heart level.

Jesus teaches us that the way to learn the discipline is to remember that which you have been forgiven:

“For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgivenlittle, loves little.”

– Luke 7.47

The more deeply you understand your own pardon, the more freely you can give it to others and love them. And this is a necessity, not an option. Jesus said,

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

– Matt 6.14-15

This sounds like a threat, but it is a teaching method of cause and effect much like we use with children. The result of having been forgiven is that we forgive and love others. If we do not forgive and love others, we prove ourselves not to be in Christ, and therefore we have not been forgiven. The result of our salvation is humility and offering love and forgiveness in the manner we have received it. If you do not offer it, you have not received it.

The cross is the most humbling aspect of Christianity. Jesus took the punishment that you and I deserve and paid for it.

The glory of the cross is that it puts us in right standing with God, and we can approach the throne of grace with confidence:

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

– Heb 4.16

Our confidence is not within ourselves, however. It is in Christ and what He did. We cannot draw near to the throne of grace in pride. If anyone thinks He deserves to draw near to the throne of God, He will be greatly disappointed. If anyone would attempt to draw near to the throne and consider another unwelcome, he will receive a terrifying judgment. Because God alone is the judge and if we understand our own guilt, we would never pass condemning judgment on another who would seek to repent and be saved.

In the same manner you have been forgiven and loved by God, you will forgive and love others. The cross is the very symbol of our guilt, and we cannot approach it in pride. It is morally impossible.

Therefore, as we continue to wade our way through the holiday season, let’s take a moment and die to ourselves and turn to Jesus. Are you thankful for His provision for your life which He paid on the cross? Did you stop and thank Him over our weekend of Thankfulness? If not, do so today. As we approach the day which has been set aside to remember His birth, be mindful first of all of the sacrifice He made in simply coming to Earth, and most importantly for paying our debt. And let the measure of your own forgiveness and the love which He has lavished on you be the measure of love you pour out on others.

Put your family and friends before yourself these next few weeks. Does someone else desire and expect gifts? Then love them in that manner. Does someone else long for quality time and good conversation? Then make the time. Is there anyone whom you have not forgiven or against whom you are holding a grudge? Then get over it, for by the same manner you judge you will be judged (Matt 7.2).

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A light of revelation to the gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

– Luke 2.25-35

Simeon’s prophecy over Jesus is one of the most beautiful and illuminating prophecies in Scripture. The people of Israel were waiting and longing for a political king who would come in like King David and set them free, restore them to political power and dominance, and free them from Roman authority. After seeing the life and work of Jesus, it is easy to see the prophetic voice throughout the Old Testament that spoke of a suffering servant, a king who would set us free Spiritually and focus on our eternity rather than temporal wellness, but before He came the prophecies were vastly misunderstood.

There was a season of relative silence between the Old and New Testaments, approximately four hundred years, where we have no Biblical writings. Occasionally Bible teachers will imply that God was not active during that time but was allowing Israel to suffer in captivity because of their rebellion, but when Simeon enters the scene he is described as a devout and righteous man – and the Holy Spirit was upon him! Simeon was old when Jesus was born, and he had lived a righteous life. He was devoted to God. It is no small thing that the author takes note that the Holy Spirit was upon him. Until Jesus completed the work of salvation, people were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit would rest upon people who had been appointed and set aside for particular tasks. King Saul, for example, had the Holy Spirit until he disobeyed God and then God removed the Spirit from him and gave the Spirit to David.

Simeon, this righteous man, had sought God and the Holy Spirit empowered him and told him that he would see the Messiah before his death. What a phenomenal promise! The Spirit brought Simeon into the temple at the very moment Jesus was being circumcised and named and revealed to him the Truth that Jesus was the Messiah. At eight days old.

So clearly God was at work during this season of Biblically undocumented time (at least for a few years before!).

Two things stand out to me today about Simeon’s proclamation. Firstly, he rocked the common understanding that Jesus was coming to politically redeem the Jews.

“for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A light of revelation to the gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”

– Luke 2.30-32

It is possible to interpret this declaration of Jesus as “a light of revelation to the gentiles” in political terms. One could say, “When Jesus overthrows Rome the gentiles (all non-Jews) will see the salvation of the Jews”. One might understand it to be God declaring His authority and everyone finally seeing it through his intervention. But we know, by the rest of the Gospel account, that Simeon’s prophecy meant salvation would be available for people of all ethnic backgrounds. Yet Jesus was still the glory of ethnic Israel. Jesus fulfilled the Law, He is the Messiah, the savior, and the glory of God through His completed work amongst His chosen people.

But what Simeon says to Mary is even more shocking:

“Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

– Luke 2.34-35

God sent Jesus from Heaven and appointed Him for the rise and fall of many in Israel. Again, when perceived with the old mindset, this could sound political. But the nature of Jesus’ mission was Spiritual: Jesus was appointed to reveal the thoughts of the hearts of people. He was a sign which had to be opposed. Unless He was opposed, His work would be incomplete! And the end of the opposition against Him was the revelation of the hearts of men.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

– John 3.16-18

John tells us that the condition of men’s heart is established. Those who do not believe are already condemned while those who do believe have eternal life. And the belief is in Jesus who died and rose again in our place for the forgiveness of sins. The wrath of God remains on those who do not believe (John 3.36). It is already there from the beginning. And Simeon told Mary that Jesus came to reveal that. He was appointed as the litmus test, to cause some to fall and some to rise, to reveal the hearts of men.

Has Jesus revealed your heart? Have you examined your heart to see how you respond to Jesus? If you believe, cling to Him and repent you will rise with Him. You will reign with Him. You will love and cherish Him as your treasure. Believe today! And let Him reveal you to be His own. He already knows your heart, so turn it over to Him.

But the simple reality is that we are wasting all of our energy fighting over words and yet giving into materialism and worldliness and pushing Jesus completely out of the season.

Some people like to give and receive gifts. Some people have real needs and desires and it is a pleasure for someone else to meet those needs. Hopefully we give gifts because we are reflecting on the fact that God gave the greatest gift to the world at the first Christmas, His Son Jesus. But is Jesus glorified in your gift exchange? Does that transformer that you give to your eight-year-old point him to the Savior and the entire reason we celebrate the day – the word for which we fought so adamantly? Or do you go to the store out of obligation and search the shelves just to have something to put under the tree, and then have a meaningless exchange of objects that no one needs or wants, without ever considering the gift you have been given by God Almighty?

Christmas decorating is a tradition and exciting activity for many families and individuals. Do you set up your tree, line up your nut crackers and run tinsel, garland and lights throughout your house in praise of the Savior? Or is it just a tradition? Or do you put a giant blow up Santa Claus in your front yard or on your rooftop, trivializing the gift of salvation that was purchased in blood for your eternity?

Why would we spend our energy fighting over the terminology, “Christmas” when we have already removed Him from our traditions and our activities?

Christmas is not the greatest holiday. Easter is. Christmas is the coming of Christ to Earth, and the anticipation of His saving work. Easter is the culmination of His Earthly ministry marking His death, burial and resurrection, and it is through this alone that we have access to God and eternal salvation. Christmas is glorious because of what it looks forward to. And yet the world will not help you prepare to celebrate Easter with carols, lights and over a month of anticipation. We would, however, be well served to reflect on the humility of Jesus in coming to Earth as a man. God Himself limited Himself in the form of an infant: completely dependent on human beings and restraining His power.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant,and being made in the likeness of men.

– Eph 2.5-7

The media will continue to fight over the terminology of Christmas. You will receive some cards in the mail in the next few weeks that read, “Happy Holidays”. But let us follow the example of Jesus: let us humble ourselves. Let us remember to make Him the center and focal point of our events and traditions. And let us remember that the fact of a baby being born is not what we celebrate, but the coming of hope and salvation.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I recently learned the history and intention behind the popular Christmas carol, “Joy to the World”. Isaac Watts, a prolific hymn writer, first published the words to this song in 1719. He wrote it, however, in anticipation of Jesus Christ’s second coming, the end of the age, rather than in reflection of Jesus’ first coming. He wrote it upon reflecting on Ps 98:

O sing to the LORD a new song,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
The LORD has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Shout joyfully before the King, the LORD.
Let the sea roar and fnall it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy
Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.

Let us meditate today on the glory of Christ’s impending return as we praise His first coming in these glorious words:

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.